Lubricator



(No Model.)

J. POWELL.

LUBRICATOR. y No. 408,927. Patented Aug. 13, 1.8879.A

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cmpmaw :ZN JP 1f i Ar S UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES POVVELII, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,92*?, dated August 13, 1889.

Application filed March 23, 1889. Serial No. 304,527. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES POWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have .invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings, which form a part of this specication.

This invention relates to those gravity-feed lubricators which are employed forautomatically oiling journals and otherl similar bearings; and the rst part of my improvements comprises a novel construction of looselycoupled valve forregulating the discharge from the fount or reservoir, the details of said coupling being hereinafter more fully described. j Y

The second part of my improvements consists in providing the fount with two or more laterallyadjustable nozzles, which can be shifted either toward or away from said fount as occasion requires, so asV to accommodate themselves to a set of oil-holes in the cap of a journal-box or other bearing, as hereinafter more fully described.

The third part of my improvements consists in rendering the sight-chambers of these nozzles vertically adjustable, for the purpose of being more readily applied to certain forms of journal-boxes or other bearings, as hereinafter more fully described.

The fourth part of my improvements comprises a novel cutoff for simultaneously closing the channels leading from the oilfount to the upper and lower sockets that contain the ends of the glass gage or index usually applied to gravity-feed lubricators, as hereinafter more fully described.

The fifth part of my improvements comprises a novel combination of devices for securing detachable glasses to the sight-chamber of the lubricator, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a lubricator provided with three discharge-nozzles, the central nozzle being shown in operation, while the two side nozzles are inoperative, the sight-chamber of one of said nozzles being sectioned. Fig. 2 is an enlarged axial section through the valve-operating devices, the valve proper being raised from its seat. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the duplex cut-oif for the glass gage or index of the lubricator. Fig. el is an enlarged horizontal section through the sightchamber and its accessories. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of a portion of one of the laterally-adjustable nozzles. Fig. G is an enlarged axial section of the valve-carrier and its adjuncts. Fig. 7 is a modification of the invention.

The fount or reservoir A, which is usually a hollow metallic cylinder, has a pair of integral sockets B B', to admit the ends of the glass gage or index O, which tube is retained within said sockets by a customary screwcap c. Furthermore, these sockets have channels Z1', communicating with the interior of the fount, as seen in Fig. 3, and said channels are controlled by conical turning-plugs D D', provided with transverse parts CZ d', and the plug D having in its lower end a square mortise d to receive a square tenon cl at the upper end of a stem c This stem t projects rigidly from the lower plug D ,which latter is retained within its conical seat by a washer-and-nut connection E.

E is a plate that retains the plug D within its seat, said plate being pierced centrally to permit free turning of the square e at the upper end of said plug. Fount A has on its upper head an interiorly-threaded neck a, to admit a long tubular nut F, having a smooth bore f, that permits free play of the stem G, around which latter is coiled a pushing-spring g, whose upper end bears against the nut F, as seen in Fig. 2.

f is a jam-nut that holds the nut F to any specific adjustment, for the purpose of imparting more or less tension to the spring g, and on this account said device F will hereinafter be alluded to as the tension-nut.7 The lower end of spring g bears against the cylindrical valve-carrier H, having a chamber h, andy at bottom a screw-threaded cap I, provided with a bore t', so enlarged as to permit a slight lateral play of a short plug J, terminating with a conical portion j, that constitutes the valve proper of the lubricator. Plug J has at its upper end a fixed collar K,

IOO

that normally rests upon t-he cap I, said collar being held in this position by a spring 7o, coiled around the shank 7;.' olf the plug. (See Fig. G.)

L is a forked lever or handle pivoted to the upper end of stem G, which lever is capable oi' being swung either up or down, as occasion requires. Valve-carrier Il is confined to a vertical path by a short open-mouthed cup N at the bottom of the tount, and usually inte gral therewith, said cup being provided with one or more inlets n and avalve-seat v11,,which seat is located at the upper end of a channel o, traversing the discharge nozzle O. This nozzle projects down a sufficient dista-nce into the sight-chamber P,which chamber is form ed in the base or standard p of the lubrieator, and said base is in many eases integral with the foun t.

p' is the screw -conneetion wherewith the base is attached to the cap of a journal-box or other bearing. The sides of base p have horizontal iianges (l (]',between which are inserted glasses Q Q', the latter being held in place by clips R R', whose ends r are so bent as to grasp the vertical edges of said glasses, as more clearly seen in Fig. 4.

'r' are screws wherewith the clips are secured to the ends of the base p, and, if desired, these screws may have milled heads, so as to be readily turned by hand.

Projecting horizontally from the iount A, and near the bottom of the same, are laterallyad justable side pipes S S', traversing stutlingboxes es and comnninicating with chambers T T', from which depend discharge-nozzles t i", said chambers being provided with valveoperating devices precisely similar to those seen in Figs. 2 and 6. It is preferred, however, to apply a packing-ring to the upper end of valve-carrier il, as seen at ll' in Fig. 5, which packing prevents oil ascending within the chamber T'. Each side pipe is slotted longitudinally at s" to admit the point of a screw 8"', which screw prevents said pipe turning. liurthermere, this screw serves as a stop to prevent the pipe being pulled out by coming in contact with the inner or closed end of said slot. j

U is a nipple, into which the shank p' of the base p may be screwed, said nipple being engaged with the cap V of a journal-box or other similar bearing. This cap has three channels r r' 1"' `for the passage of oil down to the journal.

1u w and `zr' Iuf' are perforated lugs projecting from the sockets B l' and traversed by readily-removable rods XV XV' ,which serve as fenders or guards to prevent the tube C being injured. The swinging scutchcon a' (seen only in Fig. l) may be applied to the reservoir in the manner described in Letters Patent No. 326,519, granted to me September l5, 1885.

\Vhen this lubricator is to be fitted to a lon j ournal-box. cap or other bearing having three oil-holes, as fr f1.1' 1"',the axial nozzle is in serted within the central hole r', and the side pipes S S are then adjusted laterally, so as to allow their respective nozzles f lf' to communicate with the other holes r fr", as secu in Fig. l. The handle L is then swung up to a vertical position and the tension-nut F is adjusted until a suliieient opening is left between the valve j and seat a' to allord the dcsired discharge of oil,alter which aetthe jam nut-f is tightened to preserve this adjust.- ment and prevent it being disarranged by the vibrations of the machinery or otherwise. The various valves having been thus adjusted, the oil is delivered from the nozzles H' and passes down through the channels e fr' fr" to the journal, the feed or rate of dclivery being plainly seen at the windows Q Q. lfurthermore, as this feed can take place only when the handles L are elevated, it is evident that they act as signals to indicate the proper working of the lubrieator. The feed can be stopped from either or all the nozzles by simply swinging the handles down, as seen at L' and L" in Fig. l, thereby closing the valves. (See Fig. 5.) lVhile thus swinging down the handle the spring g has an opportunity to exert its full force, which act would jam the valve j violently against its seat, in case said valve were rigidly attached to the stem G; but as it is yieldingly coupled thereto by the spring k the valve j accordingly closes without any jar or concussion, and on this 'account neither the valve nor seat can be injured, no matter how suddenly the lever may be thrown down. liurthermore, as the plug J has sufficient lateral play within the bore `1f of cap I, the valve can automaticallyadjust itself to the seat while closing, although the latter may not be accurately in line with the operatingstem G. lVhen the valves are closed, the turned-down or horizontal handles indicate that the lubricater is inoperative for the time being. It either ot' the vglasses Q or Q' should break, one of the screws r' can be suf ciently slaekened to permit such a shil't ing of the clip R or R as will enable the broken glass to be taken out. A new one can then be inserted ina few moments and secured in place by again tightening up said screw, which operations can be performed without removing the lubrieator or stopping the engine or machinery. Neither is it necessary to stop the flow ci oil while these repairs are being made. It the index-tube C should break, the plugs l) D can be simultaneously turned, so as to close the passages l) b', leading to said tube, and then the cap c can be unscrewed to facilitate the removal of: the old tube and the insertion of a new one. After the new tube has been applied and the cap screwed to the socket i3 the plugs l) are turned to open communication between said tube and the oil-reservoir, which chau ges can be eitected without disturbing any of the other attachments of the lubricator or stop ping the flow of oil through the sight chambers or chamber. In the modification of my IOO TIO

invention seen in Fig. 7 the side pipe X is screw-threaded externally, so as to be adj usted out or in with reference to the fount A, and the pendent tube Y is screw-threaded at its lower end, as at y. Z is a nozzle engaged with this screw-threaded tube. By this arrangement the nozzle can be adjusted either up or down, as occasion requires, thereby dispensing With the nipple U. (Seen in Fig. l.)

I claim as iny invention l. The combination, in a lubricator, of a selfclosing valve-carrier, a valve proper flexibly coupled to said carrier, and a reservoir having a seat for said valve to close against, which seat has a discharge-passage, substantially as herein described.

2. The combination, in a lubricator, of the self-closing cliainbered valve-carrier H 7i, cap l z', attached thereto, plug J, valve j, collar K, spring la, and shank 7e', as herein described.

S. The combination, in a lubricator, of a reservoir having a screw-tl1readed neck a, seat n', passage o, tension-nut F j, jam-nut f', stem G, spring g, valve-carrier H, and lever L, said carrier having a valve flexibly coupled to it, for-the purpose described.

4. A lubricator provided With one or more laterallyadjustable side pipes having independent* discharge-nozzles, for the purpose described.

5. VA lubricator provided With a central discharge-nozzle, and one or more lateralljhadjustable side pipes having independent discharge-nozzles, for the purpose described.

6. A lubricator provided with a central discharge-nozzle, and one or more laterally-adjustable side pipes having independent discharge-nozzles housed Within vertically-adjustable sight-chambers, for the purpose described.

7. The combination, in a lubricator, of laterally-adjustable side pipe S', valve-chan1ber T', discharge-nozzle t', sight-chamber P, and screw-threaded nipple U, for the purpose described.

8. The combination, in a lubricator, of sightchamber P, having iianges q q', glasses Q Q', clips R r R' r, and screws r', for the purpose described.

9. A lubricator provided With channels leading' to the gage-tube sockets, and a pair of siinultaneously-acting turning-plugs for closing said channels, substantially as herein described.

l0. The combination, in a lubricator, of a reservoir having socket-channels b b', turning-plugs D D', inortise d", tenon CZ'", and steni C which stein projects from the lower plug D', as herein described.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES II. LAYMAN, SAML. S. CARPENTER. 

